Book Overload!

Wait? Is that even possible? Nah.

Yesterday, my parents and I went to the Twin Cities Book Festival at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College. I think they were initially skepitcal about the amusement capabilities of a bunch of literary crazies getting together and talking about and selling books, but after my mom got a bunch of free stuff and an author signed the book my dad bought, they seemed to be very pleased with the event. Victory! I, of course, was pleased from the moment we walked in. A huge used book sale? (I spent only $5! Pat me on the back, please). Contact information for numerous publishing houses in Minnesota and the Midwest? Being surrounded by people that love books like I do? Yes, it was a great time. Plus, it was really fun to keep running into people that I knew. My world is small.

And to put icing on the cake, as we were walking back to the car, the church bells of the Basilica were heralding a wedding. We came outside just in time to see the bride and groom come out and kiss beneath the arches. Man, wedding bells really do add to the romance.

Well, I'm off to do some publishing company research and to start reading my new book of poetry by Li-Young Lee. I didn't realize this when I bought it, but the book comes with a CD of him reading some of his poems! I nearly peed myself, I was so excited. There's nothing like hearing an author read his poem, so much depth and feeling, so much power. I'll be sure to share some favorites!

They Call the Wind Maria

To celebrate yet another gorgeous fall Friday, Josh and I traveled to Lake Maria State Park for the day. Our GPS, as true to form, took us on a very round-about route down dirt roads and past large farms, but we finally made it! It's definitely a park that you have to be searching for; it's really out of the way, which is probably why we had the entire park to ourselves. That never happens! It did cross my mind that this would be a prime time and place for a murder--no one to hear you scream....--but once that idea faded, I relished in this unexpected alone time. It was lovely.

It seemed we had just missed the peak leaf colors, because everything was on the ground. But the leaves were brown and crisp and a filled the air with crinkling. Following the trails was much more adventurous when we could barely see them!

As usual, we set out in search of geocaches, and in the process came across a camper cabin. Right on a pond! Apparently, there are three cabins and about a dozen backpacking campsites. If that park is always as quiet and secluded as it was today, Josh and I might just have to have a romantic get-away in one of those cabins. Complete with a wood-burning stove! Did you know that you can give State Park gift cards to people? *hint hint* ;)

I have to say that this park is now up there with my favorite places to be in Minnesota, along with the Stone Arch Bridge, Gooseberry Falls, and Stillwater. There is something so comforting about being surrounded by oaks, bald or not, and admiring their majesty, strength, and beauty. I'm sure the three swans on the lake added to that magic as well :)

Elegance for a Day

Now that we are finally unpacked, cleaned, and organized (and I've adequately played with my little hamster), I can spend some more time telling you about the beautiful Biltmore Manor in Asheville, North Carolina. For the few hours that we were inside touring the house, I nearly forgot that we were in America, because the architecture and mere size of the place reminded me of palaces I've visited in Europe. Let's just say I was greatly pleased to discover a place of this magnitude and beauty right here in my country. I was also glad that we visited this place after one of our few showers. I don't think the "country-club" crowd that frequented Biltmore would've been as forgiving of our smell as our usual camping crowd.

First, some history: George Washington Vanderbilt inherited his immense wealth from his father (who was in the railroad business, I believe). When he built the mansion, which was completed in 1898, he was still a bachelor, but, naturally, once he had that epic house, he quickly became the bachelor of the year. He did marry a fashionable young woman named Edith, and despite what you may think, they were madly in love. In one of their lounges hangs this striking portrait of her. We learned that in the course of a day, she would have changed outfits six to eight times, depending on how many meals and teas she attended and how many times she wished to wander her gardens or ride her horse. I can't even imagine owning that many outfits. I'm indecisive enough about my clothes!

George and Edith had one daughter, Cornelia, who was the one who eventually opened the house to the public (partly to earn money during the Depression and partly as a way to preserve her father's greatest work). These three were the people who owned the house, but there were about fifty other people who lived with them, mostly servants and their families. If I had to be a servant for anyone, I think I would choose this family. They seemed very understanding and down-to-earth. Each Christmas, the Vanderbilt's gave all the servants' children presents. Those same children were Cornelia's main playmates. They obviously did not segregate themselves.

Tragically, after fifteen years of happy marriage, George died from a failed appendectomy. Edith was crushed. She was now left to run this huge home all by herself, and money was becoming tight (relatively so, I suppose). Because she didn't want to see any of her servants lose their jobs and be without homes, she sold off a huge portion of her 8,000-acre land. This land became part of a National Forest.

Anyway, enough of the people. Here are some of my favorite places:

- Conservatory. This room was located near the front entrance and ensured that the family always had greenery and life, even during the winter months. The ceiling in this room was remarkable.

This image is from a postcard

- Library. George Vanderbilt was a very well-read man, as evidenced by his collection of 23,000 books. This library houses 10,000 of them; the others are scattered throughout the house in elegant bookshelves. There are so many features in this room that make me smile: the massive fireplace (a full-grown person can stand up inside it), the books, the intricate rod-iron banisters, the two floors, the spiral staircase. But the best feature is actually hidden behind that tapestry. The walkway continues behind the artwork, so that people can get to the other side of the room, which has more books. Also behind the tapestry is a "secret" stairway that goes directly to George's bedroom. That way, he could get to the library quickly and without bothering anyone. Even if I never get a library like this, I think I'd still like to have a secret way to access it ;)

-The bowling alley in the basement. On the other side of the back wall is the chef's bedroom. If guests stayed up late to bowl, their constant noise would keep the chef awake. The next morning, they could expect a poor breakfast.

- The expansive gardens. The man who designed all the landscaping was Frederick Law Olmsted, the same man who designed Central Park in New York City. Doesn't this peaceful place call for a spot of tea? Perhaps chai?

Well, I hope I intrigued you rather than bored you. These are but a few of the things we saw at Biltmore, and I really would encourage you to visit yourself. And if you go, be sure to get the cashew chicken salad sandwich on a croissant roll and the "special recipe" vanilla ice cream. Sometimes I wish I could keep tastes on my taste buds forever :)

Where's Joshie?

Now that Josh has his new camera, he is pretty much always hiding behind it. This picture is one example of what I deal with on a (nearly) daily basis, and it just so happened that he unintentionally camouflaged himself. So, ladies and gentlemen, here is my husband in his natural habitat:

Mingus Mill in the Smoky Mountains

How to Make Your One-Bedroom Flat Feel Like a Mansion

Sleep in a two-person tent for two weeks and live out of your Corolla.

Yes, we have finally returned from our journey down south. It was so great to get away from everything and have uninterrupted time together. I also enjoyed the fact that we weren't connected to anyone via internet or phone (service in the mountains is pretty much non-existent). Yes, the quiet, alone time was good for us :) And now, for some of the highlights:

- The Southern accent. I forgot how much I missed it.
- Having s'mores every night!
- Civil War Days, complete with a battle re-enactment and cannon fire. So cool.

- Two cave tours at Mammoth Cave National Park. Growing up, my family rarely went into caves, because my mom is claustrophobic. It's been really fun to explore them now with Josh. And speaking of people being claustrophobic, as we were heading through Fat Man's Misery and Tall Man's Agony (very skinny, low-ceiled places), one poor elderly lady started having a panic attack. It didn't help that she had vision issues, so the dimly-lit passageways were doing nothing for her nerves. The rest of us were stuck in the cave behind her as the ranger helped her crawl through. Emergency services had to come, but it still took over three hours to get her out of the cave!

Part of the Drapery Room

The Historic Entrance

- Eating at Chick-fil-a whenever we saw one on the side of the road. I am adequately stuffed with the goodness for a little while, but I will still miss that Chick-fil-a sauce!

- Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Can I say "BEAUTIFUL"? Don't worry, I'll dedicate a whole post to this monster :)

Biltmore Estate, the largest home in the United States

- Our beautiful campsite at Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It was right on the Little River. It was so great listening to the water (and all the bug/frog noises) as we fell asleep.

Josh taking a dip in the river, a chilly substitute for a bath.

- The four-inch long (and half-inch wide) centipede that greeted us when we first got to our campsite. Surprisingly, it didn't faze me. But then again, it wasn't inside the tent.

- All the historic cabins, gristmills, churches, and schoolhouses. I absolutely love learning about the people who first lived on the frontier, about their struggles and their joys. Seeing their houses and the way they lived, is a great way to get a glimpse into early American life. 

One of the many cabins we found in the woods.

- Having friends come up and join us for the weekend for even more hiking and exploration.

At Clingman's Dome, the highest point in TN. Not only was the view spectacular, so was the temperature!

- Accomplishing my longest mountain hike--five miles roundtrip--to Abrams Falls, which was gorgeous. We stopped there to have some lunch and dangle our sore feet in the freezing cold water. I can't even express to you how refreshing that was! And, for those of you who care to know, I gave in and peed in the woods. But that's not the worst of it. I think we showered a grand total of three times in those two weeks. Oh yes, that's how primitive we were. ;) But washing your hair in bathroom sinks can do wonders for your soul!

Abrams Falls.

Defying Gravity

My friend, Erin, and I went to the Orpheum last night. She won free tickets to Wicked. Oh. my. gosh. I had no idea what to expect, which is probably part of the reason I loved it so much. The costumes were gorgeous (especially the swirling greens of Emerald City), the dance numbers were unique and beautiful, and the orchestra was amazing (and loud, just the way I like it). Oh, and it made fun of Wizard of Oz, which greatly pleased me since I hate that movie.

But man! The woman who played Elphaba (aka the Wicked Witch of the West) had a voice like none other. Usually I prefer male singers over females, but she may be changing my mind. She kept growing in volume and power, and her voice seemed to be coming from deeper and deeper within herself. Like every word was wrenching itself from her soul. She belted out notes with a richness and passion I've only dreamed of hearing. It was truly magical. There were a few times when she finished singing that I wanted to jump out of my seat and scream and dance in excitement.

I feel adulturous for saying this, but that performance may have surpassed Phantom of the Opera. *gasp*

What a lovely and perfect night.

Indians in the River

It's hard to say what part of our Saturday trip to William O'Brien State Park was the best. Perhaps the flip-flopped geocache coordinates that led us (and many other hikers) into a sticker-infested area behind the campground. Perhaps the canoe trip we took across the St. Croix to a little, swampy island where Darwin leapt from the canoe--to ground he hoped was solid--only to create a huge splash and further stain his "camping Converse." Or perhaps the mangrove-like forest we discovered where we wove through the trees and pretended we were navigating the Amazon.

But no. I believe the highlight of the entire day happened at the end. Josh and Darwin struggled to paddle upstream; our two rental hours were almost up and the guys were exhausted from paddling. Ahead of us, a motor boat disappeared around the bend. There was a crashing sound. Silence. Screaming. A blue flotation device floated past us.

We finally made it to the scene of peril. People clung to the sides of a motor boat while another man tried to push them free from the island trees. A young Indian woman holding a little girl struggled to pull herself onto shore and keep ahold of her flooded canoe. Further still were three Indian men--still in their canoe--tangled in overhanging branches, and a man who appeared to be their ex-passenger clingng with all his might to a different branch. They called out for help, but there was really nothing we could do. We weren't experienced boaters, we had no equipment (since we had a rental), and we knew that if we tried to pluck people from the water, they'd swamp us and we'd add to the number of people needing to be rescued. Thankfully, a man with a motorboat who appeared to work for the park arrived and began gathering the misfits. 

(A sidenote: The rescue man went straight for the woman with the child, which freaked out the man clinging to the tree branch. The clinging man screamed for help, and the rescue man audibly rolled his eyes and said, "I'm coming. But there are like six of you!" It caught me off guard that a rescue man would be so annoyed and sarcastic in this, his hour of most importance. Which is probably why I thought it was funny.)

As we continued upstream, we came across many other canoes overfilled with Indians and their children, each boat floundering in creative ways, trying to get back upstream to land and their cars. I have to say, it was quite humorous. Especially when we came up to a couple who had sensibly stayed in the calmer waters and told us as we passed by, "We told them not to go out there!"

Oh man. I love people.

A Spot of (Japanese) Tea

Last night was the lantern lighting festival at the Como Park Conservatory. The afternoon was filled with Japanese music, dancing, martial arts, and (my favorite) drumming. I don't know what it is about percussion that gets me so excited. Perhaps because it's like a heartbeat. And Mu Daiko is more than pounding rhythms; it's a dance.

I was surprised to see so many people in the park, but it was encouraging to see how many people wanted to celebrate St. Paul's relationship with their sister city, Nagasaki. And the many anime characters that were visiting the park made for some interesting people watching as well!

At dusk, volunteers lit three hundred lanterns and sent them floating on the ponds (both inside and outside the Japanese Tea Garden). We wished we could've seen the lights in the garden, but the line was really long. What we saw was beautiful enough :) I only wish that people wouldn't have been so loud and obnoxious during the lighting. The lanterns are sent out in honor of the dead, and I felt very little respect in the air. Oh well, that's Americans for you.

Here are some fabulous pictures taken by Josh to give you a glimpse of last evening. I think we will make this outing a yearly one.

Ready to be lowered

Getting darker

Gathering at the end of the pond

Superior Breeze

We are back! Back from a wonderful vacation on the North Shore where the sun tans our skin without killing us with its heat. The moment we stepped out of our car when we got home and the humid ninety-three degree air sucked our breaths away, we realized how much we had enjoyed that Lake Superior breeze. Those three nights spent in the cabin were the first nights this summer that I actually slept well. I loved having the loft windows open and listening to the lapping waves as I drifted off.

I'm not sure if I'd call our trip relaxing, though. Over the course of four days, we probably hiked close to ten miles--mostly uphill--all for the sake of geocaching. We found fourteen! A personal record. I have to say that I'm very proud of myself for pushing through the burning leg, calf, and shin pain; it was totally worth it (not to mention good practice for our Tennessee trip next month).

Now for some highlights:

1. Since it's Split Rock Lighthouse's 100th birthday, every first Friday of the month the park rangers turn on its light. I have never seen a state park so busy! We wandered down to the beach and waited for the moment (I'm pretty sure Josh got some good pictures of it that I'll try to post later). As it got darker outside, the beam became more pronouced and shot across the lake. It looked beautiful. I'm so glad we were there for that momentous occasion.

2. We stayed at the Blacklock Cabin, a secluded refuge for artists and travellers that sits on a cliff overlooking the lake. I absolutely love that place and will never get enough of it. It gives you the sense that you are the only people in the world.
One of the nights, Josh and I went down to the rock beach and had a campfire on the shoreline. In the distance, lightning was shooting from the clouds and dancing on the lake. An absolutely wonderful memory.

3. Thanks to geocaching, we discovered a few new and exciting places. One such place, near Silver Bay, was called Black Beach. The beach is made of pieces of taconite from the nearby mines, and it stretches for quite a ways. We gave up looking for the geocache, though, because we would've had to scale a treacherous rock outcropping (and by scale, I mean, scale). I hope Josh and Darwin don't think I'm a party-pooper, but I didn't want anyone to die! But, in my opinion, finding that beach made the trip totally worth it. Maybe we'll have to return and have a beach fire there too!

4. Also thanks to geocaching, we found Beaver Creek, one of those places you cross on the highway and don't give a second glance. Most of the creek weaves between huge rocks, making it very easy to rock hop and explore. It's nicely shaded and surprisingly peaceful, despite its being so close to the road. This place will have to be further explored, someday when we're not exhausted.

5. Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. I can't believe my family hasn't explored this place more! Josh and I found a really nice picnic area and a beautiful campground. It's a tent-only, cart-in campground, which is probably why I've never been there before. But not for long! Josh and I scoped out a few sites and discovered one overlooking the lakeshore. Someday--and I hope soon!--we will stay there :)

6. Yep, Split Rock Lighthouse State Park is the winner for the best places on this trip. Though the hike was longer than we expected (and Josh wasn't wearing good shoes), we finally found our last geocache. On the top of the Day Hill Trail stood a stone fireplace chimney, and no one really knows the story of it. It's rumored that a man by the name of Day was building a dream home for him and his future wife, but the construction stopped when she called off the wedding. Naturally, a tragic love story would catch my attention ;) I wish they had built a house up there on that huge flat rock, lived quietly together on top of the world, and watched the sunrise over the stirring lake. The view there is one of the best I've ever seen. Next time, I'm bringing a picnic. And maybe a few logs for the home.

6. Blueberry wild rice brats from Superior Meats. Need I say more?

7. Eating at Grandma's in Duluth with the whole family. Love that soup, love that area, and love it when the bridge goes up!

South Dakota Get-Away

Here are some pictures and highlights from our much-needed vacation. The time away really helped us reconnect with each other and with God. Camping in the great outdoors has a way of doing that. :)

Sylvan Lake - One of my favorite spots (and there was going to be a wedding later that night!)

Me holding up one of the huge rocks.

Josh exploring a roadside cave. We also toured Wind Cave and Jewel Cave but didn't take pictures inside them (too dark). Jewel Cave was my favorite. The amazing rock formations made you feel like you were walking through a corral reef. I can't even adequately describe it!

More remarkable rocks we drove through on Needles Highway.

And, of course, Mt. Rushmore.